ROCKFORD – East Kentwood’s boys basketball team is off to a 12-0 start this winter, but that’s only one-third of the story.

Kentwood’s junior varsity team also is 12-0, and the same is true for the freshmen squad.

The high school basketball season is nearly two months complete, and the Kentwood program still hasn’t lost a game at the high school level. The Falcons are 36-0 overall.

“I have never seen anything like it in all of my years,” Falcons varsity coach Jeff Anama said. “I have seen programs with lots of winning records over the years and we have had good winning records over the years, but we have never had it where all three teams have not lost yet.”

Give credit to the Kentwood coaches for keeping the Falcons perfect. Anama and assistant coach Marty Martens head the varsity while George Fuller and Tony Kimbrough guide the junior varsity. Mike Spicer and Tony Smith coach the freshmen squad.

But Anama is quick to deflect the credit.

“It’s not the coaches, it’s the great players at Kentwood,” Anama said.

Those great players include senior guard Arthur Pearson, who sparked the Falcons with 14 points Friday. Pearson scored six of his points in the fourth quarter.

The funny thing about Kentwood’s awesome start is that no one on the three teams even mentions the winning streaks, Pearson said.

“Nobody has really talked about it yet,” Pearson said. “I’m pretty sure we are all thinking about it. It’s motivation for each other. We all want to keep playing hard so we can come out and win.

“I wouldn’t say that there is pressure on us, but we know that we have a target on our back. No matter who we play, we always have to bring it because everyone is going to bring their best against us.”

MLive.com hosted a live courtside chat during Friday’s game since it was the game of the week, and a guest asked chat moderator Cory Olsen if there is a Grand Rapids area team that is capable of beating the Falcons, who are ranked fourth in Class A.

Anama continues to prepare his team like every opponent is capable of knocking off his Falcons, and with each win, the target gets a little bigger.

“I think it is more of a burden,” Anama said of his team’s winning streak. “Because the next game, you know you are going to get the other team’s very best shot and you are going to have to be ready to play because you know you are going to get their best shot.”

That’s why the Falcons don’t talk about the streak.

“I don’t,” Anama said. “I’m just worried about trying to win Tuesday now (against Hudsonville). I’m done with this win, and now we are on to the next one. The record is great, but the next game we are 0-0. We just have to win our next game.”

The Falcons are 3-0 in the Red, and in each victory, they trailed heading into the fourth quarter before rallying for the win. There also was the win against East Grand Rapids in December when the Falcons trailed the Pioneers by 16 points at halftime.

While the target grows with each win, so does the Falcons’ confidence. The Falcons didn’t panic when they fell behind 12-3 versus Rockford.

“Our tempo is going to get us back in, regardless of what the situation is,” Pearson said. “We just keep playing hard and not worry about the score so much but playing as a team.”